Phonetics tasks based on the limerick by Edward Lear (the material of British English) for English learning students

made by Nikita Rogachev

(1.) Weak forms and schwa /ə/

Underline all weak forms and syllables with /ə/

Read the limerick quickly, reducing the vowels naturally.

(2.) Rhyme and minimal pairs /ɔː/ vs /ə/

Compare “Border” /ˈbɔː.də/ and “disorder” /dɪˈsɔː.də/. 

Explain why they rhyme, and why “hat” rhymes with “cat”. 
Check if “Border” rhymes with “water, harder, order”.
Circle the rhyming pairs. Then decide if the following words rhyme with Border /ˈbɔː.də/ or not

(3.) Linking /r/ 

In British English, add linking /r/ in the phrase “Border and …” → /ˈbɔː.də r ənd/. 

Rewrite as a single sentence and mark linking /r/:

An old man on the Border ate a fish.
/…ðə ˈbɔː.də reɪt ə fɪʃ/ – the /r/ links Border and ate.

(4.) Aspiration

Find the word "utmost" /ˈʌt.məʊst/. 
Practise releasing the /t/ clearly before the /m/. Then find "danced" /dɑːnst/ and say the final cluster /nst/ without adding an extra vowel.

(5.) Vowel length distinctions

 /æ/ vs. /ɑː/ vs. /ɒ/

Compare:
cat /kæt/ (short)
danced /dɑːnst/ (long back vowel)
hat /hæt/ (short)
Border /ˈbɔː.də/ (long mid vowel)

Say each pair slowly, focusing on length. Then put them in a sentence: "The cat danced in a hat on the Border"  and maintain the length contrasts.